WHAT'S UP, UP HERE? March 11, 2011

Those really were the actors, Jason Biggs (American Pie) and Rider Strong (Boy Meets World), in town last weekend. ...

While we’re in the Department of Name Dropping, also on hand last weekend was Brian Dunkleman, co-host with Ryan Seacrest on the very first season of American Idol. ...

Is there any bigger fan of March Madness than Bob Sollima? Don’t think so. On his behalf, Go Zags! ...

While we’re in the Department of Name Dropping, also on hand last weekend was Brian Dunkleman co-host with Ryan Seacrest on the very first season of American Idol. ...

Mammoth swimmers, led by Gary Ochman, showed up at the Rec Commission meeting Tuesday with a laundry list of requests to keep the pool open longer, and later in the season. He (and they) got a measured, but cool response. ...

Was the skiing really that good this week? Sandy Hogan says yes (“It was actually too hot!”) and the literary Dave Leonard said it was the best of the season. ...

Maybe it was the sweetest thing ever at a government meeting. Barbara Miller, she of the “Husky Club,” brought some of her kids to the Rec Commission meeting Tuesday, where they presented the officios a banner postcard of thanks for the summer program. That was Tessa Adler, Bela Neal, Kevin Garcia, Talia Moss and Joshua McMillan. Along for the ride were Jenny McLean and Sandy Zeddis, who assist Barbara in herding the kids. ...

Easter is sooo late this year (April 24) that tourism wonk John Urdi says the summer season is now 13 days shorter than last year. The non-winter season is now April 25-Dec. 16. ...

Mammoth Mountain marketeer Howard Pickett told the county supes that MMH (the airport) is planning a 2,000 square foot temporary building as a “holding area” to accommodate air passengers waiting for flights. Yes, there will be food and beverages. ...

While on the subject, 34 percent for flights from S.F. this winter were turned back on account of low ceilings and/or other weather-related stuff. ...

The theme of this spring’s 44-mile “Pamper Pedal Ride” from Mammoth to Bishop is “Bad Girls,” says Kathy Johnson in a Facebook post. “Better get my booty on the bike!” says she. The ride is hosted by the men of Eastside Velo, BTW., and goes off on May 7. ...

Ever wonder why Visit Mammoth doesn’t really put its teeth into marketing Yosemite National Park, even though the airport is Mammoth-Yosemite? Hmmm. ...

The wait is for the first full season of The Bear Whisperer on Animal Planet ends April 7. The show will make its series debut with “Big, Bad, Bold.” The second, titled “You Bad Bear” airs April 14 and the third, “Breaking and Entering,” airs April 21. The three-part series, a follow-up to last year’s two-hour special, follows Mammoth’s Wildlife Specialist Steve Searles as he manages the bears around here. ...
Kitty VanStelle celebrated 10 years of service on the Hilton Creek Community Services District Board Wednesday night, as well as her last evening of service. The board expressed gratitude for her dedication and regrets at her departure. ...

The High Sierra Triathlon Club is gettin’ ready, gettin’ ready. Season opening dinner at Skadi, 5: 50, $25 for members and $30 for non-members. Meb Keflezighi is the star attraction. ...

And speaking of Meb, we think it was an outright insult that he was not invited to the April 18 Boston Marathon, even though he wanted to compete. Keflezighi said he wanted to compete at Boston this year, but race officials did not make him an offer. “It’s not that I’m not getting what I want, it’s that John Hancock (the Boston sponsor) did not make me an offer at all,” he wrote on his web site. Meb was third in Boston in 2006 and fifth last year. ...

The irrepresible John Dittli just got back from 12 days of measuring snow in the backcountry. Asked how the snow was, he merely placed his hand near the top of his thigh and grinned. ...

Maddie Schrager’s home on spring break from her sophomore year at the Cate School in Carpinteria. She videotaped the soccer action last weekend between the MHS boys’ soccer team and Cate’s team. ...

It’s a “Dine out for Drama Fund-raiser” at Roberto’s on Tuesday reminds Leslie Dawson. Ten percent of all lunch, dinner and take-out orders will be donated to Mammoth High School Drama Department for the production of The Wizard of Oz on March 30-31, April 1-2, April 6, 7, 8 and 9. ...

Mammoth’s Hazel Wittwer dabbles with the idea of moving south (to Round Valley, that is) while spending the icy winter down there, across the street from John Clark, RN, her son...

Local author Georgia Lowe is pounding out a prequel to “The Bonus,” her recent novel.